The clash between the Imperial Guards and Princess Rongchang's procession caused chaos in the streets. Fortunately, both the Imperial Guards and the Tiger Guard soldiers were well-trained and managed to stabilize the situation in time. Princess Rongchang was not startled, nor were any innocent civilians harmed.
It seemed to be merely a minor incident.
But it had made quite a stir.
When Cao Gong, the Chamberlain for the Palace Revenues, learned of this, he was still attending a banquet at the Marquis of Boyang's residence not far from the Upper East Gate. He nearly spilled his wine cup. After making inquiries, he only learned that the Imperial Guards had been pursuing a fugitive, but no one knew exactly who that fugitive was.
Wang Che, the Commandant of Justice, was equally baffled but dared not ask.
Pei Ling, though holding the position of Chancellor, not only had the authority to command the troops under the Chamberlain for the Palace Revenues and the Imperial Guards, but more importantly, he also concurrently held the office of Colonel Director of the Retainers[1].
In the years before Emperor Wen, the Colonel Director of the Retainers held a staff and commanded troops, with the power to impeach, interrogate, and arrest all officials of the three highest ranks. Though the authority had diminished considerably since then, he still held supervisory power—investigating those above and below, meting out severe punishment without exception, and overseeing all matters.
Who would dare say anything?
Only the Grand Tutor, the Grand Commandant, and others paid close attention, sending people to make repeated inquiries.
Pei Ling did not care what these people thought.
He only wanted to find Nan Rao now.
When the body in the alley was discovered, it was still warm.
In addition, there was a man who had been knocked unconscious.
When the mounted patrol received the news, they rode at full speed to report. In no time at all, Pei Ling stood in the alley, his expression cold and grim as he stared at the corpse before him.
The other man was bound hand and foot. When water was splashed on his face to wake him, he looked around in terror at the number of soldiers and stammered, "I—I—I don't know anything…"
Pei Ling had no time to waste. He said coldly, "Apply torture."
Yan Zhan waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him stepped forward with instruments of torture—special tools used in military camps to interrogate prisoners of war. Any one of them could make a person wish for death. The man was pinned down, letting out blood-curdling screams as the instruments were applied. It took less than a moment before he confessed. "I—I'll tell the truth! I was ordered by my master to capture that woman…"
"Who is your master?"
"It's… it's Yang Zhao."
The son of Grand Tutor Yang Jin—Yang Zhao.
As for how Yang Zhao had noticed Nan Rao, it was likely related to the daytime search. The Marquis of Boyang's residence had been hosting a banquet at the time, so Yang Zhao must have been nearby and witnessed her entire escape.
Given the relationship between the Yang family and Pei Ling, it was not impossible that they would try to capture someone Pei Ling was looking for.
Pei Ling asked again, "Was she taken by you?"
"I—I really don't know… She killed my companion. I took the chance to knock her out and was about to take her away, but then someone hit me from behind." The man broke out in a cold sweat, speaking with a trembling voice, and unconsciously began to beg for mercy. "Sir, I was only following orders. Please, I beg you, let me go…"
Yan Zhan drew in a sharp breath as he listened, unable to help glancing at the corpse nearby.
The fatal wound was at the neck, but beyond that, the body had been stabbed four or five times. The strikes looked haphazard, yet each one was vicious and decisive.
Clearly, the struggle had been fierce.
And this had been done by the princess?
She was so frail, her illness not even fully recovered—and yet she had managed to kill a grown man?
Pei Ling surveyed the traces of the struggle around him, and the wooden club lying to one side, stained with blood.
His voice was low and cold. "Immediately order Pan Chang, the Retainer Attendant, to go to the Grand Tutor's residence and bring Yang Zhao to me in bonds."
Yan Zhan exclaimed in shock, "Chancellor, this may be inadvisable. If we come into direct conflict with the Grand Tutor, it will inevitably alarm His Majesty."
Pei Ling turned around, his wide sleeves swept up by the bitter north wind. His profile was stern and murderous, his eyes dark and heavy—just like this bone-chilling winter night, about to give way to an even more violent blizzard.
"Then let His Majesty be alarmed. What of it?"
Nan Rao had lost consciousness.
She seemed to have fallen into an endless darkness, yet she also felt as though she were floating on the surface of icy water, like a lone boat, swaying back and forth, never able to reach the shore.
Like a person without roots, drifting with no one to rely on.
It had been a long time since she had felt this way.
Ever since she and Duan Xun had made a home in Qingzhou five years ago, she had never considered herself a lonely, wandering soul.
When Nan Rao woke, it was already dark outside, and all around was pitch black.
Only a single lamp burned by the bedside.
Its flame illuminated the surroundings steadily, undisturbed by the howling wind and snow outside.
Where… was this?
Nan Rao was dazed for a moment. She looked around, and from the furnishings, she could vaguely tell this was a simply arranged room. She was currently curled up on the bed.
Tears had soaked a patch of the pillow, and a thick quilt was draped over her.
By the faint light of the lamp, she checked her clothing.
Her clothes had not been changed.
But most of the bloodstains on her had been wiped clean, and her veil was gone.
Nan Rao moved slightly, trying to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through the back of her head.
It hurt.
It felt like her skull was about to crack open.
Nan Rao couldn't help reaching a hand to the back of her head, but at that moment, an anxious voice cut through—
"Don't touch!"
Nan Rao was startled. Her hand froze, and she looked toward the source of the voice in fear.
Someone happened to push open the door and come in, hurried footsteps approaching Nan Rao on the bed. She couldn't help curling up and retreating. The other person seemed to notice her fear and abruptly stopped moving.
"Don't be afraid."
It was a gentle female voice.
The other person slowly approached her, picked up the lamp by the bedside, and the firelight instantly illuminated a woman's face.
This was a woman who looked about the same age as Nan Rao.
Yet she was dressed in men's clothing.
Narrow sleeves, short boots, a short blade tucked at her waist, long hair neatly tied up, her features clean and delicate, pupils pitch-black, narrow double eyelids sharp as a blade's edge. When she looked at someone expressionlessly, a hint of cold, sharp heroism carried through her brows and eyes.
Nan Rao stared blankly at the other's face. For some reason, she felt her heart skip a beat. This woman before her seemed to have an indescribable… familiarity?
The other person raised the lamp, lowered her eyes, and met Nan Rao's probing and wary gaze.
"You… don't recognize me?" she asked.
Nan Rao hesitated and shook her head.
Her hair had completely come loose, messily scattered over her shoulders. Her thin face was devoid of any color, her eyes wide open.
Like someone who had been frightened beyond measure and hadn't yet come back to her senses.
"My name is Xie Mingyi," the other said again. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Nan Rao clenched her jaw and stayed silent, her body still tense.
After leaving the Chancellor's residence, she had been pursued, followed, choked by the neck, and nearly captured again. As for the person before her, she had no idea who she was.
She didn't understand—why were so many people targeting her?
None of them would let her go.
Xie Mingyi noticed her gaze and fell silent, simply standing in place watching her, not daring to step forward for a long time.
The air was unusually quiet.
After who knows how long, Nan Rao's voice finally sounded hesitantly. "Was it… you who saved me?"
She didn't look like a bad person.
Nan Rao vaguely remembered seeing two figures before losing consciousness, though she hadn't been able to make out who they were…
Xie Mingyi: "Mm."
"Someone knocked you out with a stick. I happened to see it, so I rescued you from his hands," Xie Mingyi added.
Only then did Nan Rao relax slightly, whispering, "Thank you."
Xie Mingyi lowered her lashes to look at her soft, gentle features, seeming to want to say something but holding back. The hand hanging at her side clenched hard before she managed to force a faint smile.
"You were unconscious for a long time. Drink some hot porridge first."
Only then did Nan Rao notice the food box in the other's hand and froze for a moment.
So she had gone to… get her something to eat?
Xie Mingyi set the lamp on the table, opened the food box, and took out a steaming bowl of hot porridge. She came to sit by Nan Rao's bed.
Nan Rao didn't move, watching as the other woman scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and brought it to her lips.
"I can… do it myself…"
Nan Rao felt awkward and reached out to take the spoon, but Xie Mingyi shifted aside to avoid her, a hint of a smile in her eyes as she said patiently, "Your head is injured. Don't move around. Let me feed you."
Because the other was a woman, and spoke to her so gently and softly, Nan Rao didn't insist and obediently opened her mouth to drink the porridge.
The warm porridge melted in her mouth.
It tasted very good.
Nan Rao quietly drank the porridge while lowering her thick lashes, lost in thought, her fingers occasionally clutching nervously at the bedcovers.
She had a feeling.
Xie Mingyi really must be a good person.
But why would she help her?
Nan Rao thought about how people might still be searching for her outside. Perhaps Lu Ke was being harassed by them right now. Perhaps Chancellor Pei was digging three feet underground to unearth her.
Beyond that, there were people she didn't even know who wanted to capture her.
If Xie Mingyi had only helped her out of a sense of justice, would she be dragged into all of this because of saving her?
Thinking of this, Nan Rao couldn't help but feel a trace of worry for the woman before her, and couldn't stop herself from speaking. "Thank you for saving me, but I think I should… probably leave. I've gotten caught up in some very terrible things. Staying here might implicate you."
Xie Mingyi's hand feeding the porridge paused.
She quietly looked at Nan Rao before her. As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched her fingers. Her voice was resolute, but her eyes were brimming with tears, wet and glistening, carrying an indescribable bitterness and sorrow.
Even her lips were devoid of color.
Xie Mingyi couldn't help but recall the moment she had found her.
At that time, she had just killed someone with all her might, but had no idea that the person actually had a companion. They had flanked her from both sides to capture her, and she was struck on the head with a stick by the one behind her, collapsing to the ground covered in blood.
The other had hoisted her up and was about to leave when Xie Mingyi intercepted them in time.
If Xie Mingyi hadn't noticed her because the princess's carriage had been startled, and followed along secretly on the rooftops, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
When she lifted her veil, she discovered it was someone from the past.
Someone she had thought was dead.
"Where can you go?" Xie Mingyi suppressed the bitterness in her heart, looking at the person curled up in the corner of the bed. "Everyone outside is looking for you."
Nan Rao hadn't expected her to know this and looked up in panic. "You…"
Xie Mingyi stared intently into her eyes. "Do you really… remember nothing at all?"
Nan Rao caught a hint of something else in her words, furrowed her brows slightly, and asked hesitantly, "…Remember what?"
Xie Mingyi said, "Remember that you are Princess Huayang, Xiao Lingzhang."